SPID – Sustainable Production powered by Industrial Digitalisation
SPID is Mälardalen University’s initiative for advanced professional education aimed at working professionals within the manufacturing industry. Supported by the Swedish KK-stiftelsen, the initiative seeks to strengthen companies’ long-term competitiveness through industrial digitalisation and sustainable production, in close collaboration between academia and industry.
About the SPID education initiative
The manufacturing industry is facing increasing demands for sustainability, digitalisation and advanced technical expertise. Meeting these challenges requires new knowledge as well as flexible approaches to learning. SPID addresses these needs by offering advanced skills development that is closely linked to real industrial challenges and delivered as part of a long-term initiative supported by the Knowledge Foundation.
Within SPID, industrial experience meets cutting-edge research to jointly develop solutions for sustainable and competitive production. The education has a clear focus on industrial digitalisation as a key enabler of sustainable development.
Programme structure and content
SPID comprises a total of 60 higher education credits and is designed for working professionals. The programme consists of:
- 45 credits in short courses of 1.5–3 credits each, which can be taken individually or combined to suit the needs of companies and participants.
- A 15-credit project course, in which participants carry out an industry-relevant project addressing a concrete need identified by a partner company.
The courses combine theoretical perspectives with applied elements and are delivered in close collaboration with industry, ensuring practical relevance and enabling rapid implementation within organisations.
Introduction to SPID
About the course
The manufacturing industry faces several major challenges, making it increasingly important to adopt new technology and to continuously develop and improve operations.
Sustainable production and industrial digitalization are the focus of the SPID programme, which aims to develop and offer advanced-level education for professionals.
Course structure
- The course starts on 10 March with a full-day on-site session. The day includes lectures and workshops on trends and scenarios for my factory today and in 10 years.
- Online session on 18 March, 09:00–12:00. Review of technologies and discussions in breakout rooms.
- The course concludes on 26 March with a full-day on-site session. Group work, case analyses, and presentations are on the agenda.
- Asynchronous work: Individual reflection linked to technologies that contribute to the factories of the future.
Assessment
Active participation in seminars and workshops and a reflection assignment.
Registration or questions
Project course: From theory to practice — implementing a project for a green and digital transition
About the course
Sustainable production and industrial digitalization are the focus of the SPID programme, which aims to develop and offer advanced-level education for professionals. This course is a project-based course in which you carry out an industrial project that addresses a relevant development need within your own company.
Course structure
The course starts on 15 April and is structured as follows:
- 4 on-site full-day sessions: Project kick-off, solution development, implementation, and final presentation.
- 6 online seminars (2 hours each): In-depth analysis, solution concepts, progress follow-up, and peer review.
- Asynchronous work: Project work carried out within your own company with the goal of implementing a solution.
Assessment Active participation in seminars and workshops. Project work, implementation, and a written report.
Registration or questions
Collaboration with industry
Companies play an active role in SPID, both as co-developers of courses and as contributors of knowledge within the education. Through joint projects, company-based courses and continuous exchange of experience, a learning environment is created where innovation, working methods and knowledge are shared across organisational boundaries.
A decentralised education model
SPID is being developed as a decentralised education model. Following an initial phase in the Mälardalen region, the initiative is expanding through regional nodes, including Skellefteå and Västervik. The goal is to provide accessible and relevant advanced skills development for industry – where the needs are.
Collaboration partners
SPID is carried out in collaboration with Eskilstuna Fabriksförening, Mälardalen Technology Center (MITC), Campus Skellefteå, Campus Västervik, as well as a number of leading industrial companies, including Alfa Laval, AstraZeneca, Scania, Volvo CE, Volvo Powertrain and Väderstad.
